DAVID BOWIE

Each time David Bowie reunites with producer Tony Visconti (Low, Young Americans, Scary Monsters, etc.), it leaves you wondering why he's wasting time recording with anyone else. Heathen (out Tuesday) is no exception. It's one of those albums -- filled with dramatic vocal statements, direct first-person lyrical intrigue, quirky-clever orchestrations and a bit of space travel -- that bellows Bowie at every turn. Maybe Heathen is an attempt at atonement for past Tin Machine sins, but in any case, this is what's known in the business as classic Bowie. We can all breathe a sigh of relief.